Did you know that the health of our gut plays a huge role in the health of our immune system? There are Essential Oils that can help boost the immune system and help you get back to your life!

Boost the Immune System

Not only does the gut lining serve as a physical barrier and the first line of defense between our body and any pathogens we might swallow, but healthy gut flora helps us process and eliminate toxins and reduce inflammation.
This point was driven home to me this past weekend during a Q&A session after the film Vaxxed. A panelist noted that the combination of heavy antibiotic consumption, often related to ear infections, and vaccines seemed to lay the groundwork for more vaccine related reactions.

I had never heard this information communicated in quite this way. It definitely struck a cord as my youngest child suffered from chronic ear infections as an infant and was put on what seemed like a constant cycle of antibiotics. So much so, that he started to develop all sorts of issues, like diaper rashes, spit up and diapers filled with unique and unusual colors that never presented with his older sibling.

Despite my concerns, the pediatrician continually assured me that this was normal. That is, until he suggested inserting tubes in the ears of my not yet one year old child. I sought a second opinion from a nautropathetic doctor who instead urged us to change the diet, introduce a drug (Nystatin) to kill gut pathogens and a probiotics to heal gut flora. She also advised that we wait on the next round of shots until his gut was healed. I could see my son healing, so I followed the doctor’s advice without much thought as to the reasoning behind it.

But that moment in the theater, after hearing so many stories that so closely resembled my own experience — a child with chronic ear infections who was given constant antibiotics followed by a shot and then had a vaccine reaction, a lightbulb went off. I could not help but wonder if we had dodged a serious bullet by healing the gut prior to vaccinating.

I also began to wonder the role of the gut in immune health and how excessive use of antibiotics could threaten that immune function.

Healthy Gut Flora Supports a Healthy Immune System

As you may know, 80% of the immune system resides in the gut, specifically in an area of the ileum known as Peyer’s patches. Peyer’s patches monitor, analyze and respond to the intestinal bacteria in the small intestine to prevent the growth of harmful pathogens. If a dangerous pathogen presents, the Peyer’s patches trigger an immune response – producing antibodies and alerting the immune system to launch a full body immune response to the pathogen before it can spread beyond the intestines.
Healthy gut flora is needed to maintain the healthy balance of bacteria in the intestines. The epithelial cells and the mucosal lining of the gut serve as a physical barrier to pathogens entering the body. Healthy gut flora helps to support the immune functions in the epithelial cells, like maintaining physical and chemical barriers and making the gut more acidic and hostile to invading bacteria. Healthy flora also compete with potential pathogens for space and food. If your healthy gut bacteria are already using all the resources available, there’s nothing left to feed the bad guys. They also help to modulate the inflammatory immune response and neutralize toxic substances.

Antibiotics Damage Gut Flora

While antibiotics are sometimes necessary, they have been shown to alter gut bacterial flora, killing the good bacteria along with the bad and impairing gut mucosal immunity. In fact, recent research found that long-term antibiotic usage reduces the number of Preyer Patch cells while decreasing the amount of good bacteria in the small intestine. This combination negatively alters gut immunity.

It’s important to note we also consume antibiotics in the form of food. For example, Monsanto’s patent for glyphosate, the pesticide that is aggressively sprayed on all GMO food, lists it as an antibiotic. Finally, gut flora can be impacted by antibiotics taken by the mother during gestation.

Essential Oils to Repair the Gut and Support Immune Function

Ideally, we want to repopulate the gut with healthy flora which can come in the form of probiotic supplements or food, along with dietary changes and essential oils. As we are all bio-individual, we encourage you to work directly with a healthcare practitioner to customize the suggestions below to your specific needs.

Repair the Intestinal Mucosa™ Lining: The intestines are lined with a mucosal barrier that can be damaged by anti-biotics, food intolerances and other digestive stress. The mucosal lining plays a key role in optimal immune function. It contains several immune antibodies known as immunoglobulins (sIgA, IgA, IgG and IgM) and is critical for healthy gut function, plays host to healthy gut flora and proper digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. To help balance and heal the intestinal mucosal lining, apply Vibrant Blue Oils Intestinal Mucosa™ blend in a clockwise around the belly button 2 – 3 x daily. This helps restore the integrity of the mucosal lining to restore optimal balance of healthy intestinal flora. Once the integrity of the intestinal mucosal wall has been re-established, the small intestine can do its job neutralizing the histamines and other toxins and in essence preventing allergies, inflammation and other immune responses.

Support Optimal Digestion: Impaired digestion can contribute to inflammation. One of the most important elements of healing the gut is to eat in the optimal rest and digest Parasympathetic® state. You can do this by really taking time to sit down, relax, and breathe before eating. We also recommend applying a drop of Vibrant Blue Parasympathetic® oil to the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) before meals to trigger optimal digestion. You might also consider Pancreas™ Oil to support digestive Enzymes and Vibrant Blue Detox Support Kit™ to support optimal detoxification.

Reduce Inflammation: In order for the gut to heal, you need to remove the source of damage. This could include inflammatory foods, medications, alcohol and intestinal infections. Consider a strict elimination diets that remove all grains, sugar, dairy, corn, soy (and in some cases nuts, eggs and nightshades). You can also help to reduce inflammation through topical application of Vibrant Blue Anti-Inflammatory™ oil rubbed clockwise around the belly button 2 – 3 x daily.

I hope this helps you repair your gut flora for optimal immunity.

Resources

Ready to get started? Click the links below to order today:

• Anti-Inflammatory™ available here
• Detox Support Kit™ available here
• Intestinal Mucosa™ available here
• Pancreas™ available here
• Parasympathetic® available here